Snow White (2025): Hi Ho, Hi Ho...we lost the magic, yo

Rachel Zegler and the infamous 7 in Snow White

I’m not sure what Disney’s motivation is with these live-action remakes. Are they honoring the classics or attempting to reimagine them? Snow White (2025) struggles to answer that question, landing somewhere between nostalgia bait and a misguided attempt at modernization.

Rachel Zegler does her best with the material, but her chemistry with Andrew Burnap is nonexistent. Putting Burnap’s character in a hoodie—while the rest of the world is drenched in Disney’s usual fairy-tale vibrance—feels like an odd choice. Meanwhile, Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen lacks the deliciously wicked energy that could have made her performance memorable. Compared to Glenn Close’s iconic turn in 101 Dalmatians or Angelina Jolie’s nuanced Maleficent, Gadot simply doesn’t have the range to elevate the role.

The film deviates from the original, which is expected, but it raises the question: Why remake such a dated narrative in the first place? The CGI dwarves—while not as hideous as some feared—underscore the missed opportunity to use real actors, especially during Snow White’s “death” scene, which could have carried more emotional weight.

Ultimately, Snow White (2025) feels like a film without a clear purpose, existing solely to cash in on a beloved name. Perhaps it’s time for Disney to leave these classics alone.

2.75/5